These are the
secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas
Thomas wrote down.
(1) And he said,
"Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience
death."
(2) Jesus said,
"Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he
will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished,
and he will rule over the All."
(3) Jesus said,
"If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,'
then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is
in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is
inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know
yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is
you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know
yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."
(4) Jesus said,
"The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a small child seven days
old about the place of life, and he will live. For many who are first
will become last, and they will become one and the same."
(5) Jesus said,
"Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you
will become plain to you . For there is nothing hidden which will not
become manifest."
(6) His disciples
questioned him and said to him, "Do you want us to fast? How shall we
pray? Shall we give alms? What diet shall we observe?" Jesus said, "Do
not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in
the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and
nothing covered will remain without being uncovered."
(7) Jesus said,
"Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed
is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man."
(8) And he said,
"The man is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and
drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise
fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back
into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has
ears to hear, let him hear."
(9) Jesus said,
"Now the sower went out, took a handful (of seeds), and scattered them.
Some fell on the road; the birds came and gathered them up. Others fell
on the rock, did not take root in the soil, and did not produce ears.
And others fell on thorns; they choked the seed(s) and worms ate them.
And others fell on the good soil and it produced good fruit: it bore
sixty per measure and a hundred and twenty per measure."
(10) Jesus said,
"I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it
blazes."
(11) Jesus said,
"This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away. The
dead are not alive, and the living will not die. In the days when you
consumed what is dead, you made it what is alive. When you come to
dwell in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one you
became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"
(12) The disciples
said to Jesus, "We know that you will depart from us. Who is to be our
leader?" Jesus said to
them, "Wherever you are, you are to go to James the righteous, for
whose sake heaven and earth came into being."
(13) Jesus said to
his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like." Simon Peter said
to him, "You are like a righteous angel." Matthew said to
him, "You are like a wise philosopher." Thomas said to
him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom you are like." Jesus said, "I am
not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated
from the bubbling spring which I have measured out." And he took him
and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his
companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to
them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me, you will pick
up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of the stones and
burn you up."
(14) Jesus said to
them, "If you fast, you will give rise to sin for yourselves; and if
you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give alms, you will do harm
to your spirits. When you go into any land and walk about in the
districts, if they receive you, eat what they will set before you, and
heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile
you, but that which issues from your mouth - it is that which will
defile you."
(15) Jesus said,
"When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves on
your faces and worship him. That one is your father."
(16) Jesus said,
"Men think, perhaps, that it is peace which I have come to cast upon
the world. They do not know that it is dissension which I have come to
cast upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For there will be five in a
house: three will be against two, and two against three, the father
against the son, and the son against the father. And they will stand
solitary."
(17) Jesus said,
"I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and
what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind."
(18) The disciples
said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be." Jesus said, "Have
you discovered, then, the beginning, that you look for the end? For
where the beginning is, there will the end be. Blessed is he who will
take his place in the beginning; he will know the end and will not
experience death."
(19) Jesus said,
"Blessed is he who came into being before he came into being. If you
become my disciples and listen to my words, these stones will minister
to you. For there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain
undisturbed summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall. Whoever
becomes acquainted with them will not experience death."
(20) The disciples
said to Jesus, "Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like." He said to them,
"It is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of all seeds. But when
it falls on tilled soil, it produces a great plant and becomes a
shelter for birds of the sky."
(21) Mary said to
Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like?" He said, "They are
like children who have settled in a field which is not theirs. When the
owners of the field come, they will say, 'Let us have back our field.'
They (will) undress in their presence in order to let them have back
their field and to give it back to them. Therefore I say, if the owner
of a house knows that the thief is coming, he will begin his vigil
before he comes and will not let him dig through into his house of his
domain to carry away his goods. You, then, be on your guard against the
world. Arm yourselves with great strength lest the robbers find a way
to come to you, for the difficulty which you expect will (surely)
materialize. Let there be among you a man of understanding. When the
grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand and reaped
it. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
(22) Jesus saw
infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being
suckled are like those who enter the kingdom." They said to him,
"Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?" Jesus said to
them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the
outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below,
and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the
male not be male nor the female female; and when you fashion eyes in
the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place
of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter
the kingdom."
(23) Jesus said,
"I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten
thousand, and they shall stand as a single one."
(24) His disciples
said to him, "Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary
for us to seek it." He said to them,
"Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light,
and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness."
(25) Jesus said,
"Love your brother like your soul, guard him like the pupil of your
eye."
(26) Jesus said,
"You see the mote in your brother's eye, but you do not see the beam in
your own eye. When you cast the beam out of your own eye, then you will
see clearly to cast the mote from your brother's eye."
(27) <Jesus
said,> "If you do not fast as regards the world, you will not find
the kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will
not see the father."
(28) Jesus said,
"I took my place in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in
flesh. I found all of them intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty.
And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are
blind in their hearts and do not have sight; for empty they came into
the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world. But for the
moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they
will repent."
(29) Jesus said,
"If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is a wonder. But if
spirit came into being because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders.
Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has made its home in this
poverty."
(30) Jesus said,
"Where there are three gods, they are gods. Where there are two or one,
I am with him."
(31) Jesus said,
"No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those
who know him."
(32) Jesus said,
"A city being built on a high mountain and fortified cannot fall, nor
can it be hidden."
(33) Jesus said,
"Preach from your housetops that which you will hear in your ear. For
no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, nor does he put it in
a hidden place, but rather he sets it on a lampstand so that everyone
who enters and leaves will see its light."
(34) Jesus said,
"If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit."
(35) Jesus said,
"It is not possible for anyone to enter the house of a strong man and
take it by force unless he binds his hands; then he will (be able to)
ransack his house."
(36) Jesus said,
"Do not be concerned from morning until evening and from evening until
morning about what you will wear."
(37) His disciples
said, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?" Jesus said, "When
you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place
them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will
you see the son of the living one, and you will not be afraid"
(38) Jesus said,
"Many times have you desired to hear these words which I am saying to
you, and you have no one else to hear them from. There will be days
when you will look for me and will not find me."
(39) Jesus said,
"The pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge
(gnosis) and hidden them. They themselves have not entered, nor have
they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as wise as
serpents and as innocent as doves."
(40) Jesus said,
"A grapevine has been planted outside of the father, but being unsound,
it will be pulled up by its roots and destroyed."
(41) Jesus said,
"Whoever has something in his hand will receive more, and whoever has
nothing will be deprived of even the little he has."
(42) Jesus said,
"Become passers-by."
(43) His disciples
said to him, "Who are you, that you should say these things to us?" <Jesus said to
them,> "You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you
have become like the Jews, for they (either) love the tree and hate its
fruit (or) love the fruit and hate the tree."
(44) Jesus said,
"Whoever blasphemes against the father will be forgiven, and whoever
blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes
against the holy spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in
heaven."
(45) Jesus said,
"Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from
thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings forth good
from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil
storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the
abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."
(46) Jesus said,
"Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Baptist, there is
no one so superior to John the Baptist that his eyes should not be
lowered (before him). Yet I have said, whichever one of you comes to be
a child will be acquainted with the kingdom and will become superior to
John."
(47) Jesus said,
"It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows.
And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise, he
will honor the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks
old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not
put into old wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new
wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new
garment, because a tear would result."
(48) Jesus said,
"If two make peace with each other in this one house, they will say to
the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will move away."
(49) Jesus said,
"Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you will find the kingdom. For
you are from it, and to it you will return."
(50) Jesus said,
"If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say to them, 'We came
from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own
accord and established itself and became manifest through their image.'
If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the
elect of the living father.' If they ask you, 'What is the sign of your
father in you?', say to them, 'It is movement and repose.'"
(51) His disciples
said to him, "When will the repose of the dead come about, and when
will the new world come?" He said to them,
"What you look forward to has already come, but you do not recognize
it."
(52) His disciples
said to him, "Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them
spoke in you." He said to them,
"You have omitted the one living in your presence and have spoken
(only) of the dead."
(53) His disciples
said to him, "Is circumcision beneficial or not?" He said to them,
"If it were beneficial, their father would beget them already
circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit
has become completely profitable."
(54) Jesus said,
"Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."
(55) Jesus said,
"Whoever does not hate his father and his mother cannot become a
disciple to me. And whoever does not hate his brothers and sisters and
take up his cross in my way will not be worthy of me."
(56) Jesus said,
"Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse,
and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world."
(57) Jesus said,
"The kingdom of the father is like a man who had good seed. His enemy
came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The man did not
allow them to pull up the weeds; he said to them, 'I am afraid that you
will go intending to pull up the weeds and pull up the wheat along with
them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be plainly visible,
and they will be pulled up and burned."
(58) Jesus said,
"Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life."
(59) Jesus said,
"Take heed of the living one while you are alive, lest you die and seek
to see him and be unable to do so."
(60) <They
saw> a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea. He said to his
disciples, "That man is round about the lamb." They said to him,
"So that he may kill it and eat it." He said to them,
"While it is alive, he will not eat it, but only when he has killed it
and it has become a corpse." They said to him,
"He cannot do so otherwise." He said to them,
"You too, look for a place for yourself within repose, lest you become
a corpse and be eaten."
(61) Jesus said,
"Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and the other will live." Salome said, "Who
are you, man, that you ... have come up on my couch and eaten from my
table?" Jesus said to her,
"I am he who exists from the undivided. I was given some of the things
of my father." <...> "I am
your disciple." <...>
"Therefore I say, if he is destroyed, he will be filled with light, but
if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness."
(62) Jesus said,
"It is to those who are worthy of my mysteries that I tell my
mysteries. Do not let your left (hand) know what your right (hand) is
doing."
(63) Jesus said,
"There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I shall put my
money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse
with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing.' Such were his
intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear."
(64) Jesus said,
"A man had received visitors. And when he had prepared the dinner, he
sent his servant to invite the guests. He went to the
first one and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said, 'I have
claims against some merchants. They are coming to me this evening. I
must go and give them my orders. I ask to be excused from the dinner.' He went to another
and said to him, 'My master has invited you.' He said to him, 'I have
just bought a house and am required for the day. I shall not have any
spare time.' He went to another
and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'My friend is
going to get married, and I am to prepare the banquet. I shall not be
able to come. I ask to be excused from the dinner.' He went to another
and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'I have just
bought a farm, and I am on my way to collect the rent. I shall not be
able to come. I ask to be excused.' The servant
returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to the dinner
have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside
to the streets and bring back those whom you happen to meet, so that
they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the places of
my father."
(65) He said,
"There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant
farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce
from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give him the
produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, all but
killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The master
said, 'Perhaps he did not recognize them.' He sent another servant. The
tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said,
'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants knew
that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and
killed him. Let him who has ears hear."
(66) Jesus said,
"Show me the stone which the builders have rejected. That one is the
cornerstone."
(67) Jesus said,
"If one who knows the all still feels a personal deficiency, he is
completely deficient."
(68) Jesus said,
"Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted. Wherever you have
been persecuted they will find no place."
(69) Jesus said,
"Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is
they who have truly come to know the father. Blessed are the hungry,
for the belly of him who desires will be filled."
(70) Jesus said,
"That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from
yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill you if you
do not have it within you."
(71) Jesus said,
"I shall destroy this house, and no one will be able to build it [...]."
(72) A man said to
him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me." He said to him, "O
man, who has made me a divider?" He turned to his
disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?"
(73) Jesus said,
"The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Beseech the Lord,
therefore, to send out laborers to the harvest."
(74) He said, "O
Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing
in the cistern."
(75) Jesus said,
"Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter
the bridal chamber."
(76) Jesus said,
"The kingdom of the father is like a merchant who had a consignment of
merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant was shrewd. He
sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for himself. You too,
seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth comes near to
devour and no worm destroys."
(77) Jesus said,
"It is I who am the light which is above them all. It is I who am the
all. From me did the all come forth, and unto me did the all extend.
Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will
find me there."
(78) Jesus said,
"Why have you come out into the desert? To see a reed shaken by the
wind? And to see a man clothed in fine garments like your kings and
your great men? Upon them are the fine garments, and they are unable to
discern the truth."
(79) A woman from
the crowd said to him, "Blessed are the womb which bore you and the
breasts which nourished you." He said to her,
"Blessed are those who have heard the word of the father and have truly
kept it. For there will be days when you will say, 'Blessed are the
womb which has not conceived and the breasts which have not given
milk.'"
(80) Jesus said,
"He who has recognized the world has found the body, but he who has
found the body is superior to the world."
(81) Jesus said,
"Let him who has grown rich be king, and let him who possesses power
renounce it."
(82) Jesus said,
"He who is near me is near the fire, and he who is far from me is far
from the kingdom."
(83) Jesus said,
"The images are manifest to man, but the light in them remains
concealed in the image of the light of the father. He will become
manifest, but his image will remain concealed by his light."
(84) Jesus said,
"When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images
which came into being before you, and which neither die not become
manifest, how much you will have to bear!"
(85) Jesus said,
"Adam came into being from a great power and a great wealth, but he did
not become worthy of you. For had he been worthy, he would not have
experienced death."
(86) Jesus said,
"The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the son
of man has no place to lay his head and rest."
(87) Jesus said,
"Wretched is the body that is dependant upon a body, and wretched is
the soul that is dependent on these two."
(88) Jesus said,
"The angels and the prophets will come to you and give to you those
things you (already) have. And you too, give them those things which
you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is
theirs?'"
(89) Jesus said,
"Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who
made the inside is the same one who made the outside?"
(90) Jesus said,
"Come unto me, for my yoke is easy and my lordship is mild, and you
will find repose for yourselves."
(91) They said to
him, "Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you." He said to them,
"You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but you have not
recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read
this moment."
(92) Jesus said,
"Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked me about in former times
and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to tell, but you do
not inquire after it."
(93) <Jesus
said,> "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on
the dung-heap. Do not throw the pearls to swine, lest they [...] it
[...]."
(94) Jesus said,
"He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in."
(95) Jesus said,
"If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but give it to one from
whom you will not get it back."
(96) Jesus said,
"The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman. She took a little
leaven, concealed it in some dough, and made it into large loaves. Let
him who has ears hear."
(97) Jesus said,
"The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman who was carrying a
jar full of meal. While she was walking on the road, still some
distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the meal emptied
out behind her on the road. She did not realize it; she had noticed no
accident. When she reached her house, she set the jar down and found it
empty."
(98) Jesus said,
"The kingdom of the father is like a certain man who wanted to kill a
powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the
wall in order to find out whether his hand could carry through. Then he
slew the powerful man."
(99) The disciples
said to him, "Your brothers and your mother are standing outside." He said to them,
"Those here who do the will of my father are my brothers and my mother.
It is they who will enter the kingdom of my father."
(100) They showed
Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "Caesar's men demand taxes from us." He said to them,
"Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God, and
give me what is mine."
(101) <Jesus
said,> "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother as I do
cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not love his father
and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. For my mother
[...], but my true mother gave me life."
(102) Jesus said,
"Woe to the pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the manger
of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does he let the oxen eat."
(103) Jesus said,
"Fortunate is the man who knows where the brigands will enter, so that
he may get up, muster his domain, and arm himself before they invade."
(104) They said to
Jesus, "Come, let us pray today and let us fast." Jesus said, "What
is the sin that I have committed, or wherein have I been defeated? But
when the bridegroom leaves the bridal chamber, then let them fast and
pray."
(105) Jesus said,
"He who knows the father and the mother will be called the son of a
harlot."
(106) Jesus said,
"When you make the two one, you will become the sons of man, and when
you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will move away."
(107) Jesus said,
"The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them,
the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine sheep and looked for
that one until he found it. When he had gone to such trouble, he said
to the sheep, 'I care for you more than the ninety-nine.'"
(108) Jesus said,
"He who will drink from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall
become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him."
(109) Jesus said,
"The kingdom is like a man who had a hidden treasure in his field
without knowing it. And after he died, he left it to his son. The son
did not know (about the treasure). He inherited the field and sold it.
And the one who bought it went plowing and found the treasure. He began
to lend money at interest to whomever he wished."
(110) Jesus said,
"Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world."
(111) Jesus said,
"The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in your presence. And the
one who lives from the living one will not see death." Does not Jesus
say, "Whoever finds himself is superior to the world?"
(112) Jesus said,
"Woe to the flesh that depends on the soul; woe to the soul that
depends on the flesh."
(113) His
disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" <Jesus
said,> "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter
of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the
father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
(114) Simon Peter
said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life." Jesus said, "I
myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may
become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will
make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven."
